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Islands of Protest: Japanese Literature from Okinawa
Contributor(s): Bhowmik, Davinder L. (Editor), Rabson, Steve (Editor), Rabson, Steve (Contribution by)
ISBN: 0824839803     ISBN-13: 9780824839802
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
OUR PRICE:   $26.60  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: January 2016
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Asian - General
- Literary Collections | Asian - Japanese
- History | Asia - Japan
Dewey: 895.608
LCCN: 2015034523
Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.5" W x 9.1" (1.15 lbs) 304 pages
Themes:
- Cultural Region - Asian
- Cultural Region - Japanese
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Literature is an important vehicle to further knowledge of other cultures, and English translations of Okinawan literary works have had a major impact on the field of Okinawan studies. Yet the riches of Okinawa's literature have yet to be adequately mined. Islands of Protest attempts to address this lacuna with this new selection of critically acclaimed modern and contemporary works in English.

The anthology includes poetry, fiction, and drama, drawing on Okinawa's distinct culture and subtropical natural environment to convey the emotions and tensions present in everyday life. Tōma Hiroko's poem Backbone juxtaposes the natural environment of aquamarine beaches and subtropical flora and fauna with the built environment of America's military bases. Stories by two of Okinawa's most dynamic contemporary authors display wide breadth, from the preservation of island dances and burial practices in Sakiyama Tami's Island Confinement and Come Swaying, Come Swinging to the bold, disquieting themes of violence and comfort women in Medoruma Shun's Hope, Taiwan Woman, and Tree of Butterflies. The crown jewel of the anthology, Chinen Seishin's play The Human Pavilion, is based on an infamous historical incident in which Okinawans were put on display during a 1903 industrial exhibition in Osaka. In his 1978 masterpiece, Chinen depicts the relentless pressure on Okinawans to become more Japanese.

Given the controversial presence of U.S. military forces in Okinawa, this book is particularly timely. Disputes between the United States and Japanese governments over construction of a new marine airbase at Henoko have led to the resignation of Japan's prime minister, the election of an anti-base governor, and repeated protests. Islands of Protest offers a compelling entr e into a complex culture, one marked by wartime decimation, relentless discrimination, and fierce resistance, yet often overshadowed by the clich d notion of a gentle Okinawa so ceaselessly depicted in Japan's mass media.


Contributor Bio(s): Bhowmik, Davinder L.: - Davinder L. Bhowmik is associate professor of Japanese at the University of Washington, Seattle.Rabson, Steve: - Steve Rabson is professor emeritus of East Asian studies at Brown University.